How to prepare for a Switch 2 system transfer

Inventory what you need to keep

Check user profiles, linked Nintendo Accounts and the games whose progress matters. Distinguish downloaded software from save data and from a separate service such as Pokémon HOME.

Make sure you can access the intended account. A familiar profile nickname on the console is not a substitute for knowing which Nintendo Account owns a digital purchase.

Read the transfer method before beginning

Nintendo documents system-transfer options and preparation requirements. Whether you still have the original system can affect the available route, so read that section before starting a trade-in or handing the old console to someone else.

Keep both devices charged and connected as directed. Do not interrupt the process merely because a later software redownload is taking longer than the initial account steps.

Check exceptions by game

Some games have special save or island-transfer procedures. Pokémon HOME moves individual Pokémon through its supported workflow; it does not replace the adventure save transfer. Animal Crossing’s island data also deserves the current game-specific instructions.

Verify the result

Open a few important games under the intended user and confirm the expected progress. Inspect purchased software and allow required downloads to finish. A missing installed icon and a missing entitlement are different problems.

Keep the original setup available until you have checked what the chosen transfer method preserves or removes. Do not improvise a reset as a troubleshooting step.

The official transfer guide below is the step-by-step authority. This article is a preparation checklist, not a replacement for the live instructions that describe the exact screens and transfer consequences.